Numbers do not lie, and word games cannot whitewash Japan's actual actions of military buildup and expansion, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday, adding that the more Japan tries to conceal these actions, the more vigilant the international community should remain.

Mao made the remarks at a regular news briefing after Japan's Defense Ministry responded to Beijing's earlier criticism of the Japanese defense chief's comments.

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The so-called facts presented by Japan evade the core issues and are merely self-deceptive, serving as a disguise for its remilitarization, Mao said.

She criticized Tokyo's attempts to mislead both the Japanese public and the international community through semantic manipulation.